General

• Provides display, print, e-mail & save functionality for both graphical forms and legacy UNIX text reports
  
  
• Display and direct print existing PDF files from your UNIX server (ex: print a signed PDF receipt directly to a PC printer to hand to the customer)
  
  
• All configuration and form data is saved centrally on the UNIX server so it is always available to all PCs without having to reduce your network security with a shared folder
  
  
• Print, view & design commands are all executed from the UNIX server, similar to how regular print commands are run (including support for 'piping' into the PrintForm commands like 'lp')
  
  
• You can continue to output the same UNIX text reports yet print full graphical forms that extract data from the current reports - no re-arranging of your original report data is required
  
  
• PC users in remote offices can connect & print over the Internet without requiring a VPN
  
  
• Search through multipage forms or reports and jump to the next page containing the specified text
  
  
• Save an optional PDF copy of the form or report back to the server for later access with our FineLine PC ImageLink and/or FineLine PC ScanReader electronic document management software
  
  
• Specify e-mail addresses & a subject from the server that are loaded into the PC's e-mail program when the previewed form or report is e-mailed
  
  

• Print color, B&W or grayscale graphical forms on any PC printer using data from your current UNIX text reports
  
  
• Print numerous text output formats on PC printers (80x60, 80x66, 96x66, 132x66 landscape without a condensed font, 144, 220, etc)
  
  
• Print with screen preview or print directly to any printer that the specified PC has access to, including network and USB printers
  
  
• Print UNIX files containing print codes or layout language sequences (ex: label printer commands) "raw" to a Windows printer without having the Windows print driver modify the file
  
  
• Supports 2-form layouts where the second form layout starts anywhere from page 2 through 9 (ex: AIA Contractor's Document G702 / G703)
  
  
• E-mail forms or text reports as PDF attachments through your standard Windows e-mail program (ex: Outlook)
  
  
• Save forms or text reports to your PC as PDF files
  
  
• Select any range of pages for printing, e-mailing or saving
  
  
• Print a particular copy of a form (ex: File Copy) without having to print other copies
  
  
• Create generic printer names on the server (ex: plain, color, letterhead) and assign specific printers on each PC so a single UNIX command will work for all PCs
  
  

Designer

• Includes a full-featured, easy-to-use "What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get "graphical form designer - no additional products are required
  
  
• Design sophisticated forms using only 4 basic objects:  text, shapes, graphics and barcodes
  
  
• Includes an option to extract any amount of text from the original text report and instantly create a graphical version of the layout - saving a huge amount of design time
  
  
• Supports displaying a graphic image as a background and placing objects over the image - so creating new forms from existing pre-printed forms can be as simple as scanning the original form and specifying the image
  
  
• When a multipage text report is displayed for linking to a form, the pages can be switched while designing to immediately see how each page's data looks in the form
  
  
• Existing forms can easily be loaded into a new form for quickly creating multiple similar forms
  
  
• The dynamic company information and logos feature enables creating forms without hard-coded company information and having the appropriate company's address and logo displayed when the form is accessed (even while editing in the designer) - great for companies wih multiple locations or divisions, or so developers can create forms that all customers can use without modification
  
  
• Assign conditions to any object to control how it displays for different copies.  For example, copy 1 can say "Customer Copy" and be in color; copy 2 can say "File Copy" and be grayscale (to save color ink); copy 3 can say "Packing List" and not display any prices or "Total" boxes, etc.
  
  
• Graphic objects can use text from the UNIX report to dynamically lookup and retrieve images from the server.  For example, display dynamic product photos next to items, or display a signature at the bottom of a PO based on who created that particular PO.
  
  
• Extracted text, barcodes and even dynamic images retrieved from the server are shown while designing so you can see what the finished form will look like as you work with the objects
  
  
• Preview the entire form at any time to see how it looks and prints, including the ability to change copies to ensure that each copy displays properly
  
  
• A growing number of form templates are included which reduce form design time since you only need to select a layout and tie the data areas to your current text output to put the form to work.  Of course, you can also change any elements on the form to suit (the original template can be used over and over).
  
  
• A number of special time-saving functions are included, like evenly spacing multiple objects, linking an entire column of text objects to a report column in one step, and more
  
  
• Text and shape objects feature "sticky" parameters so duplicating a particular style of text or shape is as simple as clicking the old object and then dropping a new object
  
  
• PCs with design permission can edit an existing form layout without requiring a UNIX command be run or a text report file be specified - handy for making changes to forms that don't require display of the text data (ex: changing static address info or adjusting shapes)
  
  
• The barcode object supports many popular formats, including Code 39 (3 of 9), Code 93, Code 128, EAN-8/13/128, UPC-A/E, ISBN and PostNet
  
  

Unattended batch processing option

• Simply provide a text file on UNIX that includes a special command line at the top of each page and the optional batch mode can break the file apart and e-mail, print and/or save each customer's page(s) separately according to what actions you specify
  
  
• E-mailed PDF forms are sent directly from the specified PC through any standard SMTP outgoing mail server without requiring user interaction (supports SMTP Authentication)
  
  
• A copy of the form can also be saved as a PDF on the PC, on the UNIX server, or both, with UNIX filename incrementing compatible with our ImageLink & ScanReader packages
  
  
• Includes the ability to specify separate subjects, body text and attachment names for different batch types (ex: invoices vs statements vs reminder letters), with special variables used to customize the e-mail subject, body, and/or attachment filename based on information for that particular customer's section (ex: Attached invoice number 1846).  Special variables also exist for including the current date and using specified lines from the current company's information (ex: company name).
  
  
• A summary log is printed on the PC printer if any errors are encountered or optionally, for all transactions
  
  
• Supports optional e-mail return-receipt request and includes an e-mail alias table for controlling the sender's return address
  
  
• Debug mode enables testing batch reports without having to actually print, e-mail or save the files
  

Creating a new form

There are 6 ways to create a new form:

• Extract Text - You can create a basic graphical version of a current text form by simply selecting a menu option to extract some or all of the text on the original layout and create linked text objects on the form.  This option saves a tremendous amount of design time.
  
  
• Use A Template - Select from a growing number of "built-in" form templates and link the text objects to areas of your report by simply clicking and dragging your mouse - with the ability to move and adjust any part of the form to suit your needs
  
  
• Load A Current Form - If you already have a similar form in FineLine PC PrintForm, you can load a copy of it into the current form without affecting the original
  
  
• Form Image Background - Specify an image file of your current form (ex: a scanned JPEG image) and drop text objects on it linked to your UNIX text report data
  
  
• From Scratch - Create a form "from scratch" using shapes, text, images and barcodes with the included WYSIWYG form designer
  
  
• Have Us Create Your Form - Whether you need to reproduce a pre-printed form or want a new form layout, we can help you get going quickly and reasonably.  Check out our Form Design Service for more information.
  
  

UNIX server changes required

You only need to run a UNIX / Linux system command to start PrintForm with your text output, similar to running a print (lp) command.


PC requirements

This software requires that all PCs have network access to the UNIX / Linux server either locally or over the Internet.  No VPN or static addresses are required.  Supports Windows 2000, XP, Vista, 7, or later.

NOTE: PCs to design forms must have a display size of at least 1024x768 (1440 or greater is recommended).


Supported UNIX platforms

• SCO OpenServer 5 / 6
• SCO UnixWare 7
• Linux
• IBM AIX

Product licensing

This product is licensed by the number of PCs that will view, print or design forms or text reports (in other words, any PC that uses this software).  PCs are licensed by their network PC name.

Pricing

NEW LOWER PRICING AND MORE OPTIONS!

Form Design Service

We can create your forms for FineLine PC PrintForm quickly and reasonably.  Whether you want to reproduce a current form or create a new layout, we can help.